


Big-Boy Things

by yet_intrepid



Series: Hurt/Comfort December [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Caring Sam, Dysfunctional Family, Gen, Hurt Dean, Hurt/Comfort, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, Weechesters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-06
Updated: 2014-12-06
Packaged: 2018-02-28 08:50:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2726204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yet_intrepid/pseuds/yet_intrepid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam starts running over. Dean pushes off the ground, still holding the ball in one hand. “Great save, huh?” he says.</p><p>“You fell down!” says Sam. He crouches beside Dean.</p><p>“Got your ball though, didn’t I,” Dean says. He holds it up. He has on his big-boy face, the happy one that isn’t really so happy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Big-Boy Things

**Author's Note:**

> December 4 prompt: cuddling.

Go play, Daddy says. He doesn’t say that very much. Well, to Sam he does. Sam likes to play. But his favorite is to play with Dean, and Daddy is always telling Dean to do other things. Pack bags. Give Sam baths. Run around the motel. And even more things that Sam doesn’t know, because Daddy whispers them and Dean won’t say.

But this time Daddy tells Dean to go play, too, and so Dean and Sam go out in the parking lot. Sam has a ball, one he got at McDonalds from a nice lady. Dean throws the ball to Sam. He’s good at it because he’s big. Sam can’t catch, but he can chase. He runs around the parking lot to find his ball, and then he tries to throw it back to Dean.

Dean can catch, most times. Sam watches and laughs. Dean is _cool_.

But one time Sam doesn’t throw the ball good. It goes way more to the side than Dean can reach. But Dean is cool and he jumps to get it.

Except he falls down.

Sam starts running over. Dean pushes off the ground, still holding the ball in one hand. “Great save, huh?” he says.

“You fell down!” says Sam. He crouches beside Dean.

“Got your ball though, didn’t I,” Dean says. He holds it up. He has on his big-boy face, the happy one that isn’t really so happy.

“You got hurt,” Sam says. He takes the ball and puts it in his jacket pocket, though. It’s his only one, and there aren’t nice ladies every time they go to McDonalds. Then he holds out his hand to Dean. “I don’t wanna play anymore.”

“Fine,” Dean grumbles. He gets up. Sam sees the hand that was on the ground. It’s all scraped up with some blood on it.

They creep inside. Daddy doesn’t look up from his notebook, so they go into the bathroom. Dean washes off his hand—first with water, then with the stingy stuff. Sam watches. He sees Dean bite his lip. That’s another one of Dean’s big-boy things.

“Does it hurt?” Sam asks. He knows it does. But he wants Dean to tell him.

“Naw,” says Dean. His voice is kinda shaky. He runs more water over the scrape.

And then Sam knows what Dean needs. Sam gets hugs from Dean when he falls down, because Dean is big and his arms are warm and it feels all safe. So Dean should get hugs from Daddy.

Sam leaves Dean in the bathroom and goes to tug on Daddy’s sleeve. “Hey,” he says. “Daddy.” But Daddy doesn’t look at him.

He keeps going. “Daddy, Dean fell down. We were playing ball, and I threw it wrong, and his hand got all scraped up. He needs a hug, Daddy.”

Daddy still doesn’t look at him.

Sam stomps his foot. “Daddy!”

Dean comes out of the bathroom. “You’re too old to say _daddy_ , Sam,” he says. “That’s what babies say.”

“Dad,” says Sam. Whatever. “Dad, hug Dean, okay?”

“Dean’s fine, Sam,” says Daddy. He still keeps looking at the notebook. What’s cool about some old notebook?

Anyway, Daddy can’t know if Dean’s fine. He doesn’t know everything. “You didn’t even look!”

Dean comes over and starts pulling on Sam’s arm. “Sammy, come on,” he says. “I’m a big kid, okay. I’m fine.” Then he looks back at Daddy. “Sorry, sir.”

Daddy grunts. Sam wonders if _sir_ is what he’ll have to call Daddy next. If _daddy_ is for babies, and _dad_ is what he should say now, maybe _sir_ is for big boys like Dean to say. He wants to ask, but he just goes with Dean. They sit on the bed.

Then Sam knows. Daddy won’t hug Dean like Dean hugs Sam, but there’s something else that makes Sam feel better. So he scoots over to the pillow and reaches under.

“Here,” he says, and he holds out Owl. It’s starting to fall apart at the edges but it’s softer than it used to be, lots softer than the other towels they use when Sam has a bath. Owl isn’t for baths. Just for cuddling, and for helping Sam fall asleep at night.

Dean looks once at Daddy, but Daddy isn’t looking. I’m sorry, Sam wants to say, I tried to tell him you needed a hug. But then Dean’s big-boy face slips off and he slides closer to hug Sam. Owl goes on their legs like a blanket, and Sam makes sure to tuck one corner around Dean’s ouchie hand.

Dean smiles at him.

This must be a big-boy thing, Sam thinks. He can make Dean feel better all by himself, and that means he isn’t a baby anymore.

Dad keeps writing in his notebook for a long time, but it’s okay. All cuddled up with Owl and Dean, Sam feels safe and warm and proud.


End file.
